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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2
                        PAUL G. ALLEN'S VULCAN VENTURES
                 BUYING CONTROLLING INTEREST IN METRICOM, INC.


October 13, 1997 8:34 AM EDT

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1997--Vulcan Ventures Inc., the
investment organization for Paul G. Allen, today announced that it plans to
increase its ownership in Metricom, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCOM) by 4.65 million shares
purchased for $56 million, and will take a leadership position on the company's
board of directors.

In a separate transaction, Vulcan Ventures entered into an agreement whereby it
would acquire 2.583 million shares of Metricom from the Lindner Group.  The
transactions raise Vulcan's interest in Metricom to 49%, and are subject to
shareholder and Hart-Scott approval.  Vulcan has been an investor in Metricom
since 1993.

"We were impressed by the marketability and potential industry impact of the
technology currently under development at Metricom," said William Savoy,
president of Vulcan Ventures.  "After careful review of the company, its plans
and its products, we felt the new technology could be taken to market sooner
and more effectively deployed nationally under our guidance and management."

"Our employees and board of directors welcome this investment and commitment by
Vulcan," said Bob Dilworth, Metricom CEO and chairman.  "Paul Allen is a
visionary who has repeatedly identified great business opportunities and helped
enable their success.  His investment will ensure that Metricom can deploy its
next generation high-speed wireless data networks rapidly and maintain its
technology and market leadership.  We look forward to the increased involvement
of Vulcan and its staff of financial and technical advisers as we move Metricom
forward with this revolutionary technology."

Based on this significant development, Metricom will defer its pending $125
million bond offering.

ABOUT VULCAN VENTURES

New-media investor Paul G. Allen founded Vulcan Ventures Inc. of Bellevue,
Wash. in 1986 to research and implement his investments.  Through Vulcan
Ventures, Allen invests in companies that offer products, services or
technologies that fit his wired world strategy, and can contribute to or
benefit from the technology and strategy of other Paul Allen companies.
William D. Savoy is president of Vulcan Ventures and represents Allen in his
professional and personal financial transactions as well as managing the Vulcan
analysts who investigate and secure investment opportunities.  Allen remains
chairman of Vulcan.





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ABOUT METRICOM, INC.

Metricom, Inc. is the leading provider of wide-area, high-speed, portable
wireless data services.  The company's Ricochet products and services division,
headquarted in Los Gatos, Calif., provides portable and desktop computer users
with high-performance, cost-effective wireless access to the Internet, private
intranets, local-area networks, e-mail and online services.

Ricochet is currently available in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle
and Washington, D.C., and on several university campuses and airports
throughout the United States.  Metricom's industrial communications division
provides both networks and communications services to the electric, gas, oil
and water industries.  For more information, call (800) Go-Wireless, or visit
Metricom's Web site at http://www.metricom.com.





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